Commentary
On July 5, COVID vaccine critic Alex Berenson was reinstated on Twitter after being “permanently” suspended over allegedly violating the blue bird’s COVID-19 “misinformation” policy.
On Substack, Berenson writes: “The parties have come to a mutually acceptable resolution. I have been reinstated. Twitter has acknowledged that my tweets should have not led to my suspension at that time.”
What’s perhaps most concerning about Berenson’s story is the government’s potential role in censoring him.
Last year, Congress repeatedly confronted CEOs of social media platforms such as Facebook, Google, and Twitter in order to combat “misinformation and disinformation plaguing online platforms.” In the summer of 2021, the federal government more aggressively pressured social media platforms to crack down on perceived dangerous COVID misinformation. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared it was an “urgent threat.” In July, President Joe Biden rashly rebuked social media companies, claiming, “They’re killing people.” He continued, “The only pandemic we have is among the unvaccinated. And they’re killing people.”…